Steam-trap



(No Model.)

' J. REHM.

STEAM TRAP. No. 393,582. Patented Nov. 27, 1888.

Witnesses. 1 HM Inventor.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH REHM, OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 393,582, dated November 27, 1888.

Application filed March 7, 1888. Serial No. 266.488v

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH REHM, a citizen of the United States, residing in Buffalo,in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of automatic steam-traps that act by the expansion and contraction of the pipes through which the steam and condensed water pass, and will be fully and clearly hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of the trap complete. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detached eleva- [ion of a portion of the valve stem and connecting-rod, showing also a yoke forming a portion of it, and a cross section through the adjusting'rod which passes through it. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detached horizontal central section through the valve-chamber, inlet and outlet passages, and the stuffing-box, showing also a side elevation of the valve and a portion of the valve rod.

My invention consists of a diamond-shaped frame composed of the tubes or pipes 1, secured together at the ends by T-shaped unions 2, and at one side with a T-shaped union, 3, and on the opposite side with a union (see Fig. 2) provided with the inlet passage 4, outlet-passage 5, and passage 6, leading to the valve-chamber 7. The valve 8 is secured toa stem or rod, 9. The upper part of the rod 9 passes into the hole 12 in the screw-cap 10, into which itisnicelyfitted,so as to moveup and down easily,room enough being left above the end of the rod to allow the required movement to the valve. The valve-rod 9 is provided with a reduced portion, 11., to allow sufficient room for the steam or water to pass around the valve into the outlet-passage and out.

The lower part of the valve-rod 9 passes through an ordinary stuffing-box,13,provided with a suitable packing, 14, and out beyond the stoning-box it is provided with a screw portion,15,(shown in Fig. 2,)that screws into the enlarged portion 16 of the connecting-rod 17, and is rigidly secured by a jam-nut, 18. The object of this construction is to provide the means for adjusting the valve when required (No model.)

and getting it in place, which is done by re moving the cap 10 and inserting the valve and rod,the valve passing to its seat and thelower portion of the rod through the stufiing-boX, when it is secured as above mentioned.

The lower end of the connecting-rod 17 is securedin theT portion 19ofthcunion3by means of a screw portion made in the ordinary way.

The connecting rod 17 is provided with a yoke, 20. (See Figs. 1 and 2, where the yoke 20 is shown in different positions.) Through this yoke 20 passes an adjusting rod,2l,which rod 21 is provided with a right and left screw, 23 24:, which screw into the T portions 22 of the unions 2.

The object of the adjusting-rod 21 is to provide the means for adjusting the valve to or from its seat, so as to operate under different temperatures. It will be seen that by turning the adj Listing-rod one way it will move the .unions 2 away from each other, and consequently draw the sides of the trap toward each other, which operation will move the valve from its seat, or an opposite movement of the adjusting-rod will reverse the movement of the valve.

The steam and water circulate from the inletpipe 26 through the pipe 1 in the direction of the arrow V,around through the union 2, then through the second pipe 1 in the direction of the arrow W,through the union 3, and through the third pipe 1 in the direction of the arrow X, and around through the union 2 into and through the pipe 1 into the valve-chamber 7, above the valve 8, and when the valve rises it passes out through the outlet-passage 5 into any suitable pipe or receptacle that may be attached to it.

The operation of the invention is as follows: When steam is admitted to the inlet-pipe 26, (which pipe is provided with a screw portion to be attached to a pipe leading from any source of steam-supply,) the heat instantly expands the pipes 1, and the adjusting-rod 21, not being subjected to heat, holds the unions 2 rigidly, while the expansion-pipes 1 cause both sides of the trap to move outward away from each other at the same time, and thereby draw the valve toward its seat and the seat toward the valve. By this construction I get double the effect of the expansion and contraction usually obtained, because both sides of the trap move in opposite directions at the sametime. Consequentlythevalveclosesmore quickly under the influence of l1eat,and when it becomes filled with condensed water and cooler the valve opens to a correspondingly greater extent to givea free outlet for the water.

If desired,the straight rods l'may be curved and the Whole frame-work of tubing made in the form of an oval, or substantially so; or it may bc made and would operate if in the form of a circle. I th'erefore do not wish to confine myself to the exact shape shown in the drawings. i

The yoke 20, if desired, may be dispensed with, and a bend maybe put in the connecting-rod 17 so as to bring it out of. the way of the adjusting-rod 21, or the eonnectingrod, valve-rod, and valve may be set to one side; but I prefer the construction above described;

The advantage resulting from this construction is that I provide for a continuous passage i entirely around the trap,so that the expansion and contraction take place simultaneously at all points and equally on both sides of the rod 17, thereby avoiding any unequal strain at 'either end of the trap, and causing the valve,

valve stein, and rod 17 to be moved exactly in a line with each other, thereby reducing the friction, and consequently the wearing, of the parts.

I claim as my invontion- A tubular frame having a continuous passage entirely around the frame from the inletpipe to and through the valve chamber and outlet-pipe, and having a longitudinal adjustingrod passing across and connecting with opposite ends of the tubular frame by right and left hand screws, in combination with a cross connecting-rod, and having one end connected to one side of the frame and the other end with the valve-rod and valvc,and astuflingbox for keeping a tight joint around the valve-stem, substantially as described.

JOSEPH REHM.

\Vitncsses:

JAMES Simos'rnn, ARTHUR J. SANGSTER. 

